Fashion is not about following trends, says Elena Vasilieva

''I think I was around three years old when I sewed a button back on to a shirt for the first time. A lot of toys in the kindergarten were broken, so the school asked our parents to restore them. I saw my mom doing it, I was completely passionate about it and asked to try it for myself. She explained to me how to do it and I was hooked.''

Leaving Russia

Since she can remember, Elena has always been very creative. ''I started art school when I was eight or nine years old and I really loved it. Of course most of the time we just did drawings and paintings but still, it helps to develop your creative skills.''

Though already in love with art and design, but after graduation Elena decided to leave her home country to study Law abroad. Only 16 years old and already all by herself in Oxford, England: ''I was a bit afraid at first, which is normal I think. I had only been in England for three weeks to take a summer course to master English, but now it was completely different. In the end it turned out more than okay. I had two years to prepare myself for the future and to find out what I wanted.''

I enjoyed studying Law, first three years in England and one year during Erasmus in Leuven. But I didn''t see myself being in a court or solving everybody''s legal problems.''

When Elena finished her Erasmus year in Belgium, she was a bit lost. ''My dad didn''t really approve of me doing something other than intellectual studies.'' She ended up in Leiden (Holland) were she got her Masters degree in Public International Law.

After her year in Holland, she started applying for jobs in the legal sector. ''That was a really frustrating time for me. I searched for jobs, but my knowledge of Belgian law wasn''t good. I had a lot of free time and for some reason I started knitting and I did enjoy it a lot.''

The designer dream

One and one makes two and with love for drawing and fashion Elena started searching for designers who were offering internships. ''Mode Bruxellae had a list of young designers and I contacted about thirty of them explaining who I was and what I wanted to do, but Aurore Brun was the only one who responded.''

''We met for an interview and I showed her what I had done already. She was really enthusiastic and gave me the opportunity to do an internship. That was the only thing I really asked for. Just give me a chance to develop myself as a designer.

''I learned a lot from her. She gave me tips on how to improve, but the most important thing was that she really believed in me. During the day we worked on the summer collection and when I got home I started working on my winter collection and Aurore loved what I did. It was a sign for me that I was doing a good job.''

Father''s seal of approval

Despite Aurore''s positive feedback on her work, Elena was a bit frightened to talk to her dad when she returned to Russia for the winter holidays. ''I collected all my sketches and designs to show him what I had done and he really liked what he saw. Maybe you should open a shop? Absolutely a response that I didn''t see coming.

''Aurore was already thinking about the idea of having a shop and I enjoyed working with her in the past, so the next logical step was that we could do it together.

''We found a building in Brussels, in a street where there are some other designers. Aurore knew the owner and he wasn''t using the whole building. We are going to use the upper floor (as) a combined work and selling place. We divide the space in two: on the left will be Aurore''s collection and on the right side I will display my designs.''

For Elena, failing is not a genuine option: ''I love what I''m doing and I''m doing it with passion. I really have a positive feeling about this. Aurore has a lot of experience and she would not cooperate in this project if she didn''t believe we can pull it off.''

Unique

''Aurore and I both have our own style and everything is all done by us. We start with putting our thoughts on paper, finding the right textiles, making the patterns and finally creating that unique piece of clothing. It''s all handwork from the beginning till the very end.

''I only make clothes that I would wear myself but to describe my target audience? Pretty hard to say, but I think all young women could wear the clothes I make. I get inspired when i see creations of some of the big fashion houses in Eurore, as well as by some of the Russian designers (Denis Simachev, etc). But that''s only inspiration, my style and fashion differs from all of them. Fashion is not about following a trend, it is an expression of one''s personality.''

To see Elena Vasilieva and Aurore Brun''s work:

Date: March 25th, 2010
Time: 18:00 - 23:55
Location: Rue Des Chartreux 48b, 1000 Brussels